Book 2 Part 5 Chapter 6 (Chapter 148 overall)

Chapter Summaries: Dole: The Rostofs reach Moscow. Visit at Marya Dmitrievna's Akhrosimova's. Marya Dmitrievna's character. Her warm reception. Gossip. Congratulations. Plans.
Briggs: Count Ilya, Sonya and Natasha stay with Marya Dmitrieyevna in Moscow.
Maude: Count Ilya Rostov, Natasha and Sonya stay with Marya Dmitrievna in Moscow
Pevear and Volkhonsky: Count Rostov, Natasha, and Sonya come to Moscow and stay with Marya Dmitrievna.

Translation:

VI. Count Ilya Andreich at the end of January with Natasha and Sonya had arrived in Moscow. The countess was all unhealthy, and could not go, — but it could not be to wait for her convalescence: Prince Andrey was waiting in Moscow every day; besides this need was the purchase of the dowry, the need was to sell the near Moscow estate and the need was to benefit from the presence of the old prince in Moscow so that to represent to him his future daughter-in-law. The house of the Rostovs in Moscow was not heated; besides this they had arrived for a short time, the countess was not with them, and because of this Ilya Andreich decided to stay in Moscow at Marya Dmitrievna Ahrosimova’s, who for a long time proposed to the count her hospitality. Late at night the four carriages of the Rostovs entered into the yard of Marya Dmitrievna at old Konyushennaya. Marya Dmitrievna lived alone. Her daughter she had already given out to get married. Her sons all were in the service. She held all so the same as all, said so the same to all, loudly and resolutely to all made her opinion, and with all her essence as if reproached other people for all sorts of weakness, passion and hobbies, the opportunity of which she did not recognize. From early morning in women's folk clothes, she occupied home economy, then rode by holidays to mass and from mass to the jails and prisons, where she had affairs, about which she didn’t say to anyone, but by weekdays, dressed, at home accepted petitioners from different estates, which every day came to her, and then dined; behind the hearty and tasty dinner always happened three to four guests, after dinner made a party of Boston; at night forced herself to read newspapers and new books, but knitted herself. She seldom made exceptions for departures, and should she leave, that was only to ride to a very important face in the city. She still had not lied down, when arrived the Rostovs, and at the front screeching door on the block, admitted the entering from the cold Rostovs and their maidservant. Marya Dmitrievna, with glasses, deflated on the nose, throwing backwards her head, stood in the doorway of the hall with a strict, angry look watching the incoming. One could think that she was embittered against the newcomers and now would kick them out, should she not have given back at this time caring orders to people about how to place the guests and their things. — Count? Carry here, — she said, pointing at the suitcases and with whom she had not greeted. — Young ladies, here to the left. Well, how you fawn! — she shouted at the girls. — Samovar so that to warm! — Plumper and became prettier, — she spoke, pulling to herself behind a hood the reddened with frost Natasha. — Ew, cold! Yes undress already and soon, — she shouted at the count, wanting him to come to her hand. — Frozen, I suppose. Give him rum with tea! Sleepyhead, bonjour (hello), — she said to Sonya, by this French greeting shading them with a little contemptuous and affectionate attitude to Sonya. When all undressed and recovered from the road and came to tea, Marya Dmitrievna by order kissed all. — My soul is happy that you have arrived and that you have stopped at me, — she said. — A long time, — she said, much looking at Natasha... — The old man is here and his son is awaited day to day. You need to, need to with him become acquainted. Well, yes about this we’ll talk after, — she added, looking around Sonya, a look showing that she did not wish to speak about this to her. — Now listen, — she turned to the count, — tomorrow what again do you need to do? For whom do I send? Shinshin? — she bent one finger; — The crybaby Anna Mihaylovna, — two. She is here with her son. Married is that son! Then Bezuhov for something? And he is here with his wife. He from her was running, but she galloped behind him. He dined with me on Wednesday. Well, but them — she pointed out to the young lady — tomorrow I will take to Iverskoy, but then to the Chief-Rogue we will stop by. Because, I suppose, all new will be done? From me I do not take the sleeves now, here is what! Find the young princess Irina Vasilievna that has arrived to me: it is a fear to look, exactly two barrels on hands were put on. Because now, what a day — the new fashion. Yes in yourself are what affairs? — she turned strictly to the count. — All suddenly approached, — was the response of the count. — Rags to buy, but here still is a buyer for the near Moscow estate and house. Really I should be at the mercy of your will, choose my time, I will go to Maryinskoe in the day, my girls to your estimate. — Okay, okay, I will keep it intact. In me as in Guardian advice. I will take them out where they need, and I will tear, and caress, — said Marya Dmitrievna, touching her large hand to the cheeks of her darling and godchild Natasha. On the next morning Marya Dmitrievna took the young lady to Iverskoy and to m-me Ober-Shalme, who was so afraid of Marya Dmitrievna that she always at a loss conceded her outfits, only to soon survive from her. Marya Dmitrievna ordered almost all the dowry. Returning she kicked out all besides Natasha from the room and beckoned her darling to her armchair. — Well, now talk. Congratulations to you with your groom. Picked up a fine fellow! I am happy for you; and he from these years I have known (she pointed out an arshin from the earth). — Natasha happily blushed. — I love him and all his family. Now listen. You know that the old man Prince Nikolay extremely did not desire that his son married. Moral old man! He, of course, Prince Andrey is not a child, and without him it will cost, yes against commitment of the family to enter is no good. You need to be peaceful and loving. You are a smart girl, able to get along as you need to. You are kind and will get around smart. Here all will be okay. Natasha kept silent, as thought Marya Dmitrievna from shyness, but in the entities of Natasha it was unpleasant that she had intervened in her business in the love of Prince Andrey, which presented to her as so special from all human cases that no one, by her concepts, could understand it. She loved and knew only Prince Andrey, he loved her and should come in another day and take her. More to her nothing was needed. — Whether you see, I for a long time have known him, and Masha, your sister-in-law, I love. The sister-in-law — a hammer, well but really this fly will not offend. She requested me to lead you to her. You tomorrow with your father will ride to her, and cuddle yourself very well: you will land her. As you come there, but already you with the sister and with the father will be familiar, and you have fallen in love. So or no? Because will it be better? — Better, — reluctantly answered Natasha.   

Time: end of January, late in the evening, next morning
Mentioned: holidays, week-days, mornings, last Wednesday, to-morrow,

Locations: Moscow, house of Mary a Dmitrievna Akhrosimov, street of the Old Mews (Old Konyushennaya Street in Dole, Dunnigan, and Pevear and Volkhonsky. des Vielles Ecuries in Bell with a footnote of Old Stable street. old Konyusheny street in Maude and Briggs.)
Mentioned: suburban estate, Holy Virgin of Iver (also Iver church), Marinskoe (Maryinskoe in Garnett and Pevear and Volkhonsky. Marinskoye in Dole. estate in Mandelker, Maude and Briggs. suburbs in Bell), Guardianship Council (Mortgage Bank in Garnett. Empire in Bell. Orphan's Aide Society in Dole. wards of court in Briggs. state custody in Pevear and Volkhonsky. Chancery in Maude)

Pevear and Volokhonsky Notes: Switch to the Rostovs, a reminder of the countess' inability to come due to her health. The opening paragraph is very repetitive and clunky, really suffering from the serial nature of the novel.

Long description of Marya Dmitrievna Akhrosimov's life and routine. She calls Anna Mikhailovna a "crybaby" and the rest of the chapter is Marya's inappropriate comments on Natasha's inpending marriage to Andrei.

Characters (characters who do not appear, but are mentioned are placed in italics. First appearances are in Bold. First mentions are underlined. Final appearance denoted by *):

Count Ilya Andreyevitch (Garnett adds Rostov as a reminder, though the name Rostov is thrown around a few times in the chapter anyway. Per usual, Briggs just puts Count Ilya Rostov, which Edmonds does as well.
Mandelker just puts “Count Rostov”.)

Natasha (also “future daughter-in-law”)

Sonya (also “Sonyushka”)

Prince Andrei (also “son”)

Prince Nikolai (also “old prince” and “old man”)

Marya Dmitrievna Akhrosimova (her daughter and sons are referenced, though not differentiated.)

Shinshin

Anna Mikhailovna

Boris (“son”)

Pierre (“Bezukhoi”)

Ellen (“wife”)

Princess Irena Vasilyevna (“...Irina...” in Dunnigan, Edmonds, and Briggs. “...Irina Vasilevna...” in Maude, Weiner, and Mandelker. “...Irina Vassilyevna” in Garnett. Bell drops the name and replaces “a young lady”.)

Mademoiselle Aubert-Chalme (an interesting translation variance here. Dole and Mandelker essentially drop the joke. As in Dunnigan, Marya Dmitrievna calls her “Super-Sham’s”, which Dunnigan follows with
“Madame Chalme” in parenthesis, which is repeated a couple paragraphs later. Maude prints “Super Rougue’s” the first time and “Madame Suppert-Roguet” the second time (Edmonds prints this both times).
Garnett prints “Aubert-Chalmey” both times, adding Madame the second time. Briggs puts “Madame Saucy Rascal” with the parenthetical “Her dressmaker’s real name was Suzie Pascal”, printing “Madame Pascal”
the second time. Wiener prints “Aubert Chalme” both times, adding “Madame” the second time. Bell prints “Chalme’s” the first time and “Mme. Aubert Chalme” the second time.)

Princess Mariya (“Mashenka” and “sister-in-law”. Dunnigan uses “Masha”. Maude just uses the usual “Mary”.)

Abridged Versions: Start of Chapter 18 of Bell, no break at the end.
Gibian: Chapter 6.

Fuller: The opening two paragraphs, establishing the Rostov’s residence with Marya Dmitryevna are kept and then without a line break, we jump to the next day, where Marya Dmitryevna advises them to go see
the old prince.

Komroff: Gives a reminder that Marya Ahrosimov is “the terrible dragon”, which other translations have not. Chapter is preserved and followed by a line break.

Kropotkin: Chapter 4: Marya Dmitrievna’s talking while they bring things in is removed. Most of the rest of the chapter is preserved, but a line break instead of a chapter break.

Bromfield: Chapter 11: The Rostovs do not stay at Marya Dmitrievna’s. Shinshin arrives to their house in Moscow and gives them news about Anatole and Dolokhov, giving a lot of the same information we saw
at the opera, but also that despite their previous duel, Pierre and Dolokhov are now close friends. Anna Mikhailovna tells Natasha about Boris’s engagement and Natasha has to reflect on how inappropriate it is
that she is annoyed by his engagement. Pierre hands Natasha the letter from Andrei and that Marya wants to see her, operating in that go-between role that Marya Dmitrievna did in the latter version. No break.
Simmons: Chapter 6: a lot of Marya Dmitrievna's description is gone, as well as the interaction between the characters early on.

Additional Notes: I find the comparison between Marya Dmitrievna and the Old Prince Bolkonsky very interesting. Even though Marya clearly does not like or respect Bolkonsky and Marya's routine is

heavily served by religion, they both are routine based, strict to the point of occasional cruelty and an important part of Moscow society.

Mandelker: “The historical Aubert-Chalme was a Bonapartist and left Moscow with the French.”

Nabokov: Page 236: "the main faith in the book is the Greek Catholic creed. The Shcherbatskis, Dolly, Kitty, their parents, are shown combining the traditional ritual with a kind of natural, old-fashioned, easy-going

faith which Tolstoy approved of, for in the seventies when Tolstoy was writing this novel he had not evolved yet his fierce contempt for church ritual.

Mikaberidze Page 113: “Napoleon also met with a number of French residents of Moscow, hoping to gain a deeper insight into Russian society. Among them was Marie-Rose Aubert-Chalme….About 30 years old, a beautiful

and charming woman, Aubert-Chalme was very popular in the French community of Moscow but also maintained useful contacts among the Russian aristocracy. This, however, did not prevent Governor

Rostopchin from exiling the husband, along with dozens of other Frenchmen, in August….It is unclear what made this young woman so important that Napoleon spent over an hour conversing with her...We

know that he sounder her out on a couple of important political topics, including what she thought of freeing the Russian serfs. She later claimed that her response was that one-third of the serfs would welcome

his decision, while the rest would even understand what he was attempting to do for them. As it was, Napoleon did not dare to attempt such a radical reform. The rest of conversation is wrapped in secrecy.

Yet this meeting proved fateful for Aubert-Chalme: once the news of the meeting spread, the Russians branded her Napoleon’s spy andd accused her of having been in the service of the French government

for a long time before the war. Why else, they argue, would she have met the French Emperor if not to pass on some valuable information? Even her fellow French residents of Moscow stayed well away from

her, fearing retaliations for any association with her. When Napoleon left Moscow in October, Aubert-Chalme had little choice but to join the ranks of thousands of others who followed the Grande armee. Along

the way Chalme became separated from her children and died in a typhus epidemic in Vilna in December.”